Tricky Sticky Transmutations
by Accioscroll
Summary: Neville has caused the biggest accident yet with only Snape around to help! Will he? Can he?
1. Sleight of Hand

**Sleight of Hand**

Severus Snape was alive. The news was on everyone's tongue in hours.

After the Battle of Hogwarts, after Harry Potter had left him dead and told all present that Snape was Dumbledore's man, Snape had disappeared, assumed finished off by Death Eaters. Not so. He had been found, hidden and healed by Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick and Poppy Pomfrey for several months until he was well enough to be revealed and stand trial. A sham trial really, quickly done, even with protesters and equally passionate counter-protesters. He'd already been cleared of all charges, thanks to The Portrait of Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter, who felt compelled to spread every minute detail of the rest of his business all over the Wizarding world.

Snape had healed with Hogwarts, both of them being repaired at the same time. The Castle had kept an affinity for Severus Snape; still recognized him as a part of itself. He'd had to relinquish his Headmastership before it would even allow Minerva into her new rooms. In fact, it had walled off his room when the Ministry came looking at building progress before they were ready to reveal him. _His_ room was right down the hall from his old chambers. The Castle even made a magical passageway to his old private lab, filling in the passage to the old chambers.

Even though the battle had barely touched the dungeons, they were very different. Slughorn's Stairs had collapsed, so there was no entry from the Entrance Hall. Even House Slytherin was to be moved to the New North Tower. Hufflepuff would move to the ground floor below the Lookout Tower. Far from the kitchens but still half subterranean, peeking out at the ivy covered passageway. All that was left in the dungeons- the kitchens, the House Elves, a few cats and Severus Snape.

After he was revealed to be alive, Minerva kept him and told the Ministry he would be spending the rest of his convalescence at Hogwarts. They told her that he absolutely could not be allowed to remain on Hogwarts property- Secret Hero or no and then they turned a blind eye, out of sight; out of mind.. the answer to the question of "What to Do with Severus Snape". The Board of Governors, down to only a few never spoke up at all.

Months after the final battle, a select few students were allowed back in. Six or Seventh year students could come back and finish their missing classes at an accelerated pace while the Castle was still in rebuild. This would be a six month program through the summer holiday, a couple weeks off and start in the fall like nothing had happened for those who were not to graduate. They added a special set of classes for healer and Auror training. There were twenty seven of them, made up of all houses, and as all the dorms were still being built, they all stayed in Gryffindor Tower. Snape, of course, was not involved in this. He stayed in the dungeons or kept to a hidden courtyard for exercise and sunlight, at Poppy's insistence. He had his very few visitors - Minerva, Poppy, Filius and Draco. Otherwise, he was in hiding, no one ever saw him but everyone knew he was there. He would be well enough and leaving soon. He knew not to where. His house had been burned to the ground.

Snape could do magic with both hands, or he had been able to. After his wand was burned with the shack and half of Hogsmeade, he chose to go without. He had been good at some wandless magic before. He was practicing with his weaker left hand on a cold morning in his courtyard when he heard a shout, what sounded like a donkey bray, and a panicked young man calling his name. He knew the voice. He had heard it scream under the cruciatus. Neville Longbottom.

When Severus had heard that Longbottom- all the remaining of _Dumbledore's Army-_ but mostly Longbottom was returning, he'd begun to shake. He hadn't been able to speak yet; he could barely move. He couldn't feed himself. Minerva had made him drink a calming draught on that day.

Severus Snape would always carry regret, shame, and guilt. He had done horrible things. Not in the beginning. Not when he was a young enthusiastic Slytherin. In the beginning, it was all posturing and preening, something he had never been able to do before. And then, yes, he had been a Death Eater. He had wanted the power, the prestige.. the .. well, all he'd ever really wanted was The Girl.. but he'd lost her long before. Making veritaserum and polyjuice seemed innocuous enough if he didn't think long on the implications. Hearing the prophecy was just dumb... Luck. Once he realized what the prophecy could mean, he already knew he was in way over his head. By the time, he knew who the prophecy referred to, he was frantic. The Mark on his arm, a lock on his cage. He went to Dumbledore. Oh, the irony, but a fitting punishment. He'd stay a Death Eater and a Spy. Yes. Terrible things. Now, a means to a more honorable end, but unforgivable just the same. He had a role to play; a job to do.

Adding Potions Professor? Just icing on his new Shite Life Cake. No one has any respect for a teacher they watched be tormented by their popular older house-mates. Sixth Year Gryffindors were the worst and lost more points his first term than all other houses together. So, Yes. He was a very strict teacher and predominantly toward Gryffindors, which brings us back around to Neville Longbottom.

Neville Longbottom was a danger to the Wizarding world with his carelessness. Even so, Snape knew he'd gone too far, too often in trying to ..bully.. the child into something he was not. He became such an easy target for bleed-over wrath and had gotten the brunt of his ire, his rage at his own impotence and helplessness. If he was honest and he had vowed to himself to be honest..if only to himself, there was a Neville Longbottom every few years. He had played his role too well, though, liked his role too well; wore it rather more naturally than he would like to admit. Longbottom and Potter, of course got the worst of it. He'd made a kind of peace with Potter. It seemed he would not escape Longbottom either.

Dying has a way of clearing away a lifetime of grime and cloudiness. A year of lying about only gives one time to think. He knew from Filius that both Longbottom and Potter had given him blanket forgiveness upon seeing the memories that Potter freely shared with the fucking world- alright, not the world just a select few. In fact, he'd been forced to spend time with Potter during his "trial" and he was almost more annoying contrite than arrogant, but they had an uneasy _All's Forgiven_ rapport now. Severus was the only person left who could tell him anything personal about his mother."_You must have some nice childhood memories of her..right..Sir?_".and so he complied. Added it to his sentence. It was torture.. bittersweet. He was trying to see the boy as himself and not his parents. Nearly Impossible. Every time the boy laughed- James Potter.

Snape still felt he needed to make amends with Longbottom though.. somehow. He made himself sick- he wanted to apologize for saving the child by being too much of himself. He had decided to flee the country instead. He knew it would come to pass eventually but his stomach was in a constant knot for worry he would run into one of the children he had let be tortured by the Carrows. Tortured instead of killed but tortured and now the boy was running down the hall screaming his name.

"Professor Snaaaaaape!" and then he was standing in the door " Sir? … uh..Please, come quick. There has been an accident!" he panted. Naturally, those would be the only words Longbottom could possibly be here to say! No time for Snape to exercise his tortured soul.

" McGon..agall .. otherwise en..gaged?" He hadn't done his _voice therapy_ in two days. His annoyed, shouted reply came out a raspy whisper the ended in a racking cough. What could they have possibly done that would require his assistance?

Having to find Snape to help him was almost as terrifying to Neville as the problem itself, but he was the last option. He had almost not come back to Hogwarts after hearing that Snape was alive and still lurking the dungeons. Neville had transformed in the time leading up to the Battle of Hogwarts. He had become a leader and a capable fighter with the DA and though schoolwork had been nonexistent in the last years, he had been creating and mastering practical magic and complicated spells. He had survived Umbridge and the Carrows, and ultimately Voldemort himself and actually killed the ruddy snake! He had already survived Headmaster Death Eater Snape. He _knew_ he wasn't the enemy anymore. Knowing the man had actually died to save them all, he'd done his best to forgive Snape's treatment of him- to chalk it up as another of his own sacrifices. He tried to embrace Snape's new hero status, yet was it the snake that gave him nightmares? The Carrows? No. He still had Snape nightmares. They took him right back to terrified and bumbling thirteen year old.

Neville had come back, though. There was no not coming back, really. Since, he'd accepted an apprenticeship with Professor Sprout and was starting to look at Hogwarts as home and put Snape to the back of his mind. This was the first time he had seen Severus Snape since they exchanged curses as Snape fled the castle ultimately to be murdered by Voldemort via snake. He was taken aback by the sound of his voice and briefly noted Snape's dilapidated appearance, jolted out of his chair and standing there in his shirt sleeves. He looked really angry, but Neville went on after being joined in the doorway with the yowling Cat, Minerva McGonagall.

" I..I'll explain on the way." starting back into the corridor.

Severus Snape was not going to be ordered about by a bumbling idiot, Longbottom. This was just too much. "Explai.." He cleared his throat. "Now…. Miner..va... what ..is this?" Snape worked out as he stared down the Cat and the boy. He had, however, started buttoning the many buttons on his quickly donned frock coat and made his way to his robes. He fastened only a few buttons, not moving again, before Neville blurted out," Sir, please! I've changed them all into animals!"

Snape spared him one withering glance, with eye roll and head shake and motioned him to lead the way, wrapping his old heavy teaching robes over his shoulders and continued the buttoning as they went,"Explain."

"For my multi-study NEWT. I'm w..working on a _homorphus_ to force Animagus and transfigured changes...polyjuice, glamours.. Um.. They all ch..ch..anged! Most of them anyway ..even people not in the class" At this, a dog chasing a pig ran by.

"The whole.. school?" Completely unbelievable that Longbottom could pull something like that off. One would have to be an expert in at least three disciplines.

"Yes... and I can't change them back. They can't change themselves back. Professor McGonagall just keeps meowing at me!" They both shot a glance at the meowing Cat at their feet. " Sir, I can't find Professor Sprout or anyone. Madam Pomfrey and most of the staff are gone for the weekend."

There had been several times in Neville's short life where he had been truly scared. Turning all his friends into animals was topping the list. Having to confide in Snape wasn't even coming close. He would accept all the malice in the world if Snape could fix it.

They had arrived at their destination as Snape finished the last button on his left cuff, clearly winded from the walk. The Transfiguration classroom was now McGonagall's office and the 'Great Hall', which they called _Tiny Hall_. The classroom was in shambles. A horse stood in the corner nodding its head up and down and pawing the stone floor, there were two dogs, several birds including a large eagle, a stag and two deer, an orange cat, several small furry creatures, a few farm animals and one large python that everyone else had moved away from and reminded Neville way too much of Nagini. All the Animals were trying out their new wings, legs and voices. A human Ronald Weasley was talking to the stag and Luna Lovegood was trying to comfort a small handheld creature. Cat McGonagall jumped onto her desk, pacing back and forth like a lion fifty times her size.

"Mr. Longbottom?" Snape whispered. All his discomfort and disdain clear on his face.

Neville took a deep breath and got ready for the abuse. He was never so relieved to see Snape as a human and as terrified to see him as such. Snape was the only teacher left who could help them. Neville handed Snape a long parchment full of neat tiny lines of transfiguration formula, quantum equations and accompanying wand motions and sigils. "Here's the spell I was working on. I..I don't know what went wrong. It was only supposed to work on Professor McGonagall. Only one focused animagi. She was already the Cat, she was supposed to change back."

Luna approached smiling,

"Hello, Professor. You are looking well." Luna, on the other hand, had never been afraid of Snape. Even when he was her jailor.

Snape ignored her,

"... rest of them... rest of the class?" he gestured around.

Neville answered,

"It's Saturday, Sir. This is a bunch of study groups. Luna and Ron didn't change. I didn't.. obviously. Others, all over the castle have changed." He was starting to calm down now. Snape hadn't started out with ridicule..of course, he didn't seem to be able to talk very well. Looking over his spell had reminded him it was only a formula; that it could be worked out.

"All of these …..studying animagi? Snape pointed around at the Animals. He wished he could say how terrifying that thought was.

"No, Sir. Some were in a study group for auror training-"

Ron Weasley spoke up, "I'm in that group. We're not officially meeting today, Sir, but me and Harry, Ginny, Parvati, Terry, Michael, Seamus and Hermione are in an extra animagi study group." he had indicated each animal in turn. Hermione was in Luna's hand. A tiny, very loud, squeaky Mouse. Potter was, of course, the Stag which Snape realized he would have known him as such and that made unexpected anxiety roll in his gut.

"We were just playing Sticks today, Sir. Well.. except Hermione." Weasley interrupted his thoughts. Snape noted that he talked like an Auror. He almost laughed. What a day this would be.

Luna clarified, "They weren't studying to be animagi, just for Auror and medical training. Except for Hermione. She runs all the study groups."

Snape raised an eyebrow at the Mouse, nodded and looked at the parchment Neville had handed him but quickly looked up. "Draco?" They all looked at each other and shook their heads. "Go. Find humans", he waved Lovegood and Weasley out of the room, took a long full breath looked over the parchment. None of this was his expertise. He could work it through, but it would be a long day. Worse, he'd need Longbottom to explain it to him. He whispered over the noise, "Very complex spell..Longbottom. ...No plants." He sneered. "Granger...do it?"

At this, the Headmistress who had been avidly listening from the desktop started wailing her loudest, most desperate yowl. Neville instinctively reached out and stroked her furry back, but immediately pulled back his hand.

"Oh, sorry Ma'am! No, Sir!" he _was_ offended..but still nervous. " I wrote it, researched it, umm... The Headmistress approved every step. It's to work on transfigured objects and living ss..subjects as well. Polyjuice, too. And glamours, like I said. And I've used it for glamours and transfigurations with success three times already. On mice." He knew his spell should work. He tried to show a bit of confidence.

"Mice. Indeed." Snape raised his eyebrows and shook his head, looking back to the parchment. He wondered if the boy was still hopeless? No. This was a complicated spell. "_He was never really hopeless, Severus."_ He heard Filius's voice in his head. He had proven himself quite capable while under siege and Snape had been impressed, but this seemed like the younger Longbottom, nervous and stuttering. The spell was impressive, though. If it worked. Innovation is messy, he had to admit. He ran through a few spells that were known to untransfigure, clear glamours and for Animagi change. Longbottom confirmed he'd already tried them all.

Severus Snape and Neville Longbottom looked one another up and down.

Snape was pale and skinny, his hair had been cut short and choppy, by him with a #12 stainless steel herb scythe. He was unshaven, and even his beard was sparse and unhealthy-looking and grey streaked. He had been just in a white shirt and now was dressed in his usual crisp coat and robes but they hung on him like a skeleton.

Neville, on the other hand, had grown several inches, put on muscle and lost any roundness to his face. He was healthy as he could be, top of his game really. He dressed like any fashionable Wizard and had been on the cover of Witch Weekly twice, despite the scars at his hairline. And he looked down on Severus Snape by a good three inches.

"Where do we begin...Mr... Longbottom? " Snape asked.


	2. Compound Formulae

**Compound Formulae**

Neville realized he'd been holding his breath. Before he could answer, Hagrid and Filch and a strange woman came through the door. Hagrid held a Monkey on his shoulder, and two very calm Foxes in his arms, a Hummingbird flitted about his head but Filch was supporting the woman. Both men were talking and asking for McGonagall.

When Cat McGonagall saw the woman and the woman saw Cat McGonagall, they both hissed and growled and Filch started yelling about 'The Dis-guys' and ' the Bloody Curse' and what was 'McGonagall going to do about it'. Hagrid started talking to all the Animals and all the Animals started their voices up again. Snape could not be heard over all the racket and was banging on the table with his hand. The Monkey escaped to the chandelier.

"Please, everybody! Even you Animals, I know you understand me!" It was Neville who finally broke through. The room quieted down, but they could still hear the chaos from the rest of the castle. When Filch and the woman had come in, Snape's eyes had gone round before his usual mask was replaced. Now, he looked at his hands as Neville gestured to the woman,

"Who is this, Mr. Filch?"

"This is Mrs. Norris an' if Miss High an' Mighty would come outta her feline form, I'd like her to change her back!"

"What? Really?" Neville was flabbergasted. She hissed at him.

"She's cursed. By You Know Who. She'll die if she's human. She needs th' dis-guys!" There was anguish and a little hysteria in Filch's voice.

"Riddle ..is .. dead. ….you think- ..No curse." Snape ground this out, but his throat was burning with all the talking.

Filch, to everyone's surprise, spat back at Snape, "Well if anybody'd know, it'd be you. I'm not taking any chances." You could have heard a pin drop in the room. Even the Monkey was silent.

Snape knew Filch hated him. Many people hated him, most with good reason and Filch was no different. He recognized the woman whose appearance took him back to the beginning of his loathful path to hell. He had thought she was dead. That part of the situation had all been far out of his control but he was glad to see her alive.

"...can't change her back." Snape pointed at McGonagall,".. can't change.. either...have to wait," Snape only had a raspy whisper left. He sat down at the nearest worktable and ran his hands over his face, pushing his cool fingers into his eyes for a moment.

About the time Snape would have been having his late morning potions and nap, Weasley returned shaking his head.

"Hello" Soon after, Luna came back with a rattled Rolanda Hooch cradling a Chicken. "There aren't any more people that I can find. Professor Trelawney is an owl in her new tower, though." Luna went on, "Professor Hooch was just coming in from the Greenhouses with Professor Sprout." She gestured to the Chicken.

"You must be Mrs. Norris." Luna smiled at the shocked woman.

"What the Devil is going on?" Cried, Hooch. "One minute, we're in the Greenhouse the next Pea's a chicken! I've turned her into a chicken!"

"I looked in the greenhouses!" Neville interrupted.

"Well..you must have missed us!" The stalwart Brooms instructor was starting to panic."

"I's a'right, Pr'fesr. Sev'rus and Neville will ge'it all fig'red out." Hagrid patted Hooch heavily on the shoulder and directed her to a chair and sat down next to her with a Fox next to Pea. Pea clucked and he moved the Fox to the other side, "Sorry, Pr'fessr."

Snape started to speak but tugged Neville down to his level and whispered something to him.

"Yes, Sir." said Neville as he addressed the room, "Professor Snape says all you Animals should go to your rooms..um if you can get to them."

He tugged him down again, "Birds can go fly around."

Tugged down" Stay away from the Whomping Willow and out of the Forest"

Tugged Down, "Hoofed creatures can go out to the front park but stay within earshot."

Tugged down, "Umm.. watch for p..predators...? Maybe you Dogs should go with them."

The Dogs barked and Ron spoke up,

"I'll go with them, too." He came over to Hermione who was now on Luna's shoulder and scratched the Mouse under her chin with one finger," It'll be alright, Love. You'll figure it all out."

As they all filed out, Snape pulled Neville down again.

"Hagrid? You think you could just go 'round and tell everyone to try not to panic and to go to their rooms or where ever you think..?"

"'Course, Neville..er Pr'fessr. Come on, you lot." and he left too, with the Foxes and a whole menagerie trailing him.

Neville looked at the flying instructor,

"Professor Hooch, can you also try and keep peace and find the other instructors?"

"Yes, that's just the thing to do. You're right, Longbottom." and Ro and Pea left.

The snake remained curled up by the fire.

Filch had settled down on a bench in the back corner of the room,

"Ehhh, I better go an' make sure the blighters in't destroyin' the place, too." and then much quieter, "You stay here, my sweet. I'll be back'ta check on y'." and he left, staring them all down as he went. He hated Longbottom too for all the DA graffiti. He couldn't hate the Lovegood girl, she was too weirdly kind, though he'd spent too much time fishing her lost items out of inconvenient spots. Mrs. Norris pulled her knees up to her chest and receded into the corner, her eyes now human blue, but terrified saucers.

Luna with Hermione and Neville joined Snape at the table. McGonagall jumped down from her's and joined them. Now it was quiet, they looked around. Neville, Luna and Snape and were human.. well, and Mrs. Norris, but just barely. The Headmistress and Hermione were Animals.

Snape took up Neville's project and they went line by line, Neville explaining the theory, process and wand movements. Snape sat up turning his head from side to side to ease his neck muscles. He had to admit, "..should have..worked..not have behaved this way. You did ….something wrong ...when you cast." He pursed his lips with scorn.  
"How?" Neville sat on the edge of the nearest table. He let out a frustrated moan.

"Who is ..the rat ..in the cage?" Snape suddenly croaked, saving more critical ridicule for later.

Lovegood answered. "Oh, that's Sam. He's just a rat. I was casting the communication spell so that we could all talk to Sam when they all turned. "

"You ….were casting?"

"Yes, Sir"

"...spell..?" he gestured she should continue.

"It's to Understand, Sir. I'm a vegetarian." She stopped as if this was all she needed to say. Snape, having come to expect and accept Luna Lovegood's ways, simply motioned her on.

"Oh. I want the Animals to be able to tell people why they shouldn't eat them so Hermione and I have been working on a cross species group communication spell. I'm doing the wand movements and I was trying the first cast today."

"Notes!" Snape smacked the tabled with his hand, but then rolled his eyes and ducked his head in apology. They were all so jumpy.

There was a long period of quiet in the room, with a storm of noise just outside the door, including the occasional blood curdling roar of a Lion while Snape read her notes and then handed them to Neville and handed Neville's to Luna. Because Hermione and McGonagall were so agitated, Neville put Luna's parchment on the table where they and the Monkey could read it, too... though the Monkey declined..

"Does.. it work?"

"Not yet, Professor. Sam's not talking."

Neville reached across the table and put his hand on Luna's and she looked up and smiled.

Snape looked up at the Monkey,

"Can you ...write?" he was actually just curious.

He slid a quill, ink and some parchment across the table. The Monkey sat on the table and picked up the quill, but couldn't get the grip, couldn't form any letters, she eventually got frustrated and threw the whole mess off the table, screeching and banging on the tabletop, as one would expect of a Monkey. Neville and Luna both reached out to the Monkey and patted her on the back with soothing words,

"Um.. I think you can go or stay..up to you."Neville told her. The Professor nodded and the Monkey went back up to the chandelier.

Severus Snape leaned his giant nose down close to the table and looked right at the tiny Mouse sitting between the Cat's paws. Hermione Granger had given him stolen anti-venom and blood replenisher while he lay dying in the shrieking shack." My..Savior. You..know...what they..were all...", he stopped to rest," working on". She squealed and squeaked and cried. She did know.

Snape gestured around the room," All the...notes"

"Sir? " Neville questioned.

"Read.." He gently patted the table in front of him and then gestured around the room "all ..the notes," his voice had dropped to a whisper again. Luna and Neville gathered them up. They laid out everyone's notes so that the Animals could read them as well as the humans. Hermione, balanced on top of a candlestick.

An hour or so later, Severus sat up, stretched and rubbed his eyes. He hadn't been awake this long in months. His head was pounding and his back hurt. He knocked three times on the table and a House Elf named Lex appeared next to him, causing the Mouse, the Monkey, and the boy to squeak in alarm and the two Cats, human and non, to hiss. Snape made some hand motions and whispered to the Elf and he popped away again, but Snape immediately knocked again.

"Yes Sir, you knocks again?"

"Can you.. talk to them..." He pointed at Hermione, Minerva and the Monkey.

"No. Sir. Lex is nots a animal, Sir." The offended Elf popped away again.

Soon the Elf popped back with food and drinks and tea for the humans, an alarming amount of potions for Snape, kippers for Minerva and Mrs. Norris, fruit for the Monkey and Hermione and looked to Snape for further instruction. Snape waved his hands around the room and whispered out, " ..feed -" before his voice gave out and he pounded his hand on the table, much like the Monkey had, making everyone jump again. He looked to Neville who was able, once again, to be his voice.

"Can you find Hagrid to help you figure out what to feed everybody else?"

"Yes, Mr. Neville Longbottom, Sir. Thank you, Mister Longbottom, Sir. We will feeds them all." and he popped away again.

Neville looked at Snape sheepishly,

"They thank me every time I see one." he shrugged.

They all ate in silence. At some point during the meal, Filch came back for Mrs. Norris,

"I'll take y' home now." He whispered to her. "Any progress?" He barked at the group, in general.

"A Bit", said Neville, while Snape shrugged and shook his head. Filch growled and the two left.

They already knew that Luna and Hermione's group had been working on the communication charm. They knew Minerva and Neville had been testing his _homorphus_ spell and that Ron's group had been playing _Sticks_. They knew at least Neville, Luna and Ron had been casting. They didn't know what the other groups were working on. There were at least 10 different projects in the works that had something to do with transfiguration or animagi. Since many of these students were heading toward medical or Auror training, many of the projects had a forced change aspect, but there were a few that stuck out.

It was indeed Hermione who noticed it first, squeaking as loudly as possible to get their attention, running from parchment to parchment.

"What is she trying to say? I'm sorry Hermione. I just don't see it. " Neville lamented.

Finally, Luna reached over to the lunch tray and grabbed a handful of currants.

"Show us."

The little Mouse rolled out two currants, one on the word _ausculto_ on Luna's notes, one on the words _ausculto for Weasel _written in smeared ink in the margin of Seamus's and again the matching word _ausculto_ in Neville's spell. The group had a collective 'Ah Hah'.

Snape smashed his finger down on Seamus's parchment,

"Get.. Weasley and Finn..egan" Minerva jumped down and ran out of the room. Luna, Hermione, and the Monkey went to the library for more books.

Completely alone with Snape, Neville got up and paced. When he looked at Snape who was still going over parchments, he saw how bad he looked. He had noticed early in the day that Snape was far from recovered. He could only put a few words together at a time and he knew from Luna that that was because his vocal cords had been dissolved by the venom and were still healing. More than that though was how weak in body he seemed. He'd gone from his usual pale to gray and he'd been drinking potions all afternoon. He was afraid he'd collapse where he sat. He'd also started out being his almost usual snappy sour self, but seemed to have all but stopped with the snark. That alone was alarming.

"Sir, do you need to..uh.. rest?'"

"No" shortly.

"It's just.. you look.." Neville was feeling brave, they'd done well.

"I.. will.. be .. fine" he whispered out evenly. Snape found that he just didn't have the energy that it took to sustain contempt. He also noted that he didn't want to. The few times he'd lashed out, instead of the usual satisfied feeling of putting an idiot in their place he felt regret. He was met with eyes full of understanding and concern, not revulsion or fear. Did they not hate him? Right now they needed them, but why bother him about rest?

When the girl and the Mouse came back- the Monkey, turning out to be Madam Pince having stayed in the library- the three men were having quite a row. The Cat was silent, though she kept her tail moving.

"always ..up ..to-" Snape standing, leaning and pounding on the table and with both hands, and whisper/yelling, jabbing at the parchment in Ron's hand.

Ron was standing over all the notes, indignant,

"-not up to anything! "

"Sir, it may not be... Ron," Neville was pacing up and down the room.

"Must.. be..-" able to get out a pretty good shout.

"-was not me - don't know- ask Seamus!", Ron, gesturing to the large red stallion snorting and pawing and shaking his mane around.

" see ..it says _Weasel_ right here..that's the problem..." Neville was trying to reason with both of them, both of them largely ignoring him and yelling at each other.

Luna tried to get their attention,

"Hello? Oh. Sir, It's nice to hear your voice so strong", but they kept yelling over her. Finally, she slapped her own hand down on the table, "Boys!" and they all stopped. Even Snape and the horse looked chastised.

"I thought of some things," Luna said, back to her mild mannered self. "Sir, were you casting?"

Snape nodded "I was.. casting ..an .._augeo_" In is halting way, Snape explained that he had been enlarging and shrinking flower pots in his courtyard.

Luna went on, "I found Professor Hooch and she was also casting- an _engorgio_. They were in Professor Hooch's office."

"I wonder what they were using _engorgio_ for," Neville added.

"She didn't say. In fact, she didn't seem to want to tell me what spell she was using at all." Luna answered.

Snape just looked at his hands.

"Anyway," Luna continued," All of us who are still human were casting. I asked Hagrid, too. He was in the Forest, though. I don't know about Mr. Filch, but you know, he's a squib."

After realizing that everyone who was still human had been casting, they concentrated on the spells those people had been working on. Using the Currant Method, the Cat pointed out some points in the formula of Neville's spell and Severus noticed some notes on Ginny Weasley's unfinished arithmancy homework.

"_Ginny_ Weasley," Ron Weasley was quick to point out. Luna and Neville pulled out all the books and crossed referenced all of the spells. After some time of squeaks, grunts, growls, knocks on the table and a few spoken words, Neville whispered,

"Ok. Um..I found it." They all sat back and looked at him.

"According to..," glancing at Hermione, he flipped to the cover of the giant tome he had four fingers bookmarking four pages of, " ..Uh..Demuneo's Lexicon.._asculto _has thirteen uses! Luna was casting this spell," he marked his pages with parchment scraps and pointed to her spell for communicating with a group and underlined _ausculto_ _intellectum_.

"I was casting this spell," he pointed to the force change formula and underlined the spell _ausculto transverto._

"and Ginny Weasley was working on this," he pointed to the notes on the back of her homework, "with this", he pointed out a piece of scrap parchment with the completed spell and underlined _asculto corupes. _As soon as he underlined it, Snape started pounding on the table, but Ron interrupted.

"No. No. That's the new _Sticks_ spell. She handed me that when it was my turn-"

Neville continued, "No! This is the _Sticks_ spell" he pulled over a similar piece of parchment scrap."Did you look at it? Don't you see what this is? What's she's done? It's brilliant, yeah?" He laughed and looked to Snape. Snape grunted and to Neville's surprise was actually smiling and nodding as he turned it in front of Luna and the Animals, smacking it down with his hand.

"Clever," he whispered.

Neville went on, "She's worked out a prank to transfigure a small group into ..well it says.. ducks, here.. but she hadn't worked that out so it's just _animalia_..but .. using someone else's keywords, _ascultavi _in this case. This part of the .._Sticks_ spell." He circled a small formula, "so it can't be traced to her. I think she was aiming to turn the _Sticks_ group into Animals and she got you to do it!.. eer but.. she got everybody. Right?" He looked at Snape who nodded once.

Luna spoke up, "We made a new spell! All of our voices together.. A completely new spell. What you're saying is that when we all spoke them at the same time, my spell made your spell into a group spell and Ginny's prank directed your spell to force in-to Animagi instead of out-of – except for poor Mrs. Norris -and into Animagi instead of ...ducks. But not actual Animagi because they didn't go through the ritual ...but they are not transfigured because..kind of a hybrid, aren't they?.. they can still think like themselves..." Halfway through this, her excitement went to Luna's usual airy, thoughtful monolog and as she was thinking out loud she absentmindedly ran her hand down the back of the Cat in front of her. The second purred and raised her back to the hand.

"Yes...but our magic affected the whole school?" Neville, still bewildered.

Snape knocked on the table. The Mouse squeaked. The Cat yowled. They all got it at the same time.

"The professors extended the charm!" Ron found the link, too."If Snape was in the new courtyard off the old dungeon entrance- " He glanced over at Snape, "yeah sorry, Sir. Everybody knows about that.." and then at the Mouse, " um.. _Professor _Snape was using an extension charm and Professors Hootch and Sprout were on the opposite side of the castle using one and we were in the middle, that's how we covered the whole school! Bloody Hell! We're powerful!", he hooted with a laugh.

The little Mouse ran up her boyfriend's arm and across his shoulders, licking his earlobe and squeaking excitedly.

"So, how do you fix her?" Ro and Pea had returned halfway through the explanation. A walk around the castle rounding up students and probably some of Hagrid's creatures had done wonders to clear the mind of the witch. At the question, the Cat jumped up and ran her arched back under Neville's chin..she only had so many ways to communicate, after all.

"Uh, yeah, well, my spell should work..on a larger scale" Neville shyly said.

Luna was his immediate champion. "Of course! That's just what it's for, Neville."

"Why won't the usuals work?," Impatience ruled Rolanda's tongue.

They didn't know. The spell wasn't cast in the usual way.

".. have to.. decon..struct..the spell," Snape replied. This was the longest he'd been awake in a year.

Luna added, "Muggles call that _reverse engineering_."


	3. Wand Movements

**Wand Movements**

Bedding down the Animals for the night proved an interesting challenge. All the larger and hoofed Animals had been taken to the barns and Hagrid had given them fresh straw and all the comforts they could want. Though dorms had been transformed into dens and nests, all the Animals stayed in Tiny Hall.

Draco, who turned out to be a great white Lion, reclined with a Sheep, most likely Astoria Greengrass at his side. Birds had nested in the rafters and all the smaller mammals were in one large furry pile in front of the fire. The Snake having moved over for them.

The Core group, however, had work to do.

They sent Ro and her Chicken wife to bed. There would be no transformations tonight unless it wore off on its own as the yowling sad orange kitten Ginny Weasley had intended. They worked hours when Neville again noticed Snape looked particularly bad.

"I'm beat.. how about a break?" He tried to sound encouraging.

"You go.. on, Mr. ..Longbottom." Snape needed no more mothers. He looked at the Cat sleeping sitting up. How did they do that? Even Granger, after pushing currents around for some time was asleep, nestled between ancient scrolls. Pince would die if she were not a Monkey herself. He yawned in defiance of himself..and Longbottom. He was beyond exhausted. Luna jumped up, stretching her arms high above her head.

"I'd love to stretch my legs!" she said, "Come along, Professor." Twice at Malfoy Manor, he'd escorted Lovegood to a cell. Both times, surreptitiously casting healing spells under the noses of his co-captors. Once he'd sent a covert jelly legs on Dolohov when he'd been too handsy with the girl. Now, as he looked up at her, his biting reply became a resigned sigh and he followed them out the door, leaving both Weasleys sleeping on the transfigured sofa, the little orange sister curled up against her brother, his hand buried in the fur on her back.

The cold air invigorated them as they walked through the front doors down to the lake. Luna sat on the ground next to a tree and drew symbols in the dirt with her wand, the formula still on her mind. Severus sat down and leaned up against the tree, downing three of his potions, already hours overdue. Neville continued to pace. Before long, Severus dropped off to sleep and when he woke he noticed a warming charm had been cast over him and the sun was just below the horizon. The couple was standing at the lake with their backs to him holding hands, her head on his shoulder, natural as you like. She leaned up to him. He leaned down to her, their perfect profiles backed by the pink firmament, and then she poked him in the ribs and he pushed her away and their laughter broke the silence of the dawn. They shushed each other and by the time they turned, he was already up and dusting off the grass and leaves from his robes. They were still smiling when they approached him.

"Alright, Professor?" Longbottom asked.

"Quite refreshed, thank you for asking, Mr. Longbottom." The words didn't come out as smooth and even as he'd liked but he hoped it conveyed his sincerity. As they walked back up to the castle, the Ravenclaw slipped her arms through that of the Slytherin and the Gryffindor, natural as you like.

All the Animals woke at dawn. When they walked through the great front doors, the three could already hear the chaos coming from Tiny Hall. Upon entering Severus, using Neville as his voice, immediately sent all the cacophony out to run the grounds within boundaries and with instruction. House Elves were called and early breakfast was provided for all and then Severus told Luna and Neville to go to bed as he knew they had not slept. He slept too. An hour leaning against a tree was not really Quite Refreshing at all. While the others slept, Minerva, Hermione, and Ron were very busy.

Though she could not communicate it, Minerva had suspected an elusive sticking charm was involved in their problem when she had seen Mrs. Norris restored to her human self. She went to Neville's Lexicon and finally found the parts to the missing clues she had spent years looking for. But it was Hermione who had seen the connections between the Cat's information and the already assembled work. Using the Current Method and Ron's opposable thumbs, Hermione moved around the books and parchments in such an order as she would have the others read. Re-convening at nine am, Ron, though the work was far over his head, was able to show them all that Minerva and Hermione had put together. After some time with all of them reading, a quiet Ron looked around. Hermione was sleeping ..being nocturnal all of a sudden. McGonagall was too and Malfoy, though he'd never gotten up.

He whispered to Snape, Neville, and Luna, "Did she do it? Is she right? " They all just made reading sounds like Hermione often did.

Finally, Snape spoke up "I think this will work." Neville nodded in agreement.

The next hours were spent refining the spell and working on wand movements. Hermione, using her feet and tail dipped in wine drew the wand movements over and over again until Ro finally was the first to get it right. Again the little Mouse squeaked and squeaked. Ro taught the rest the precision motions. The spell would take about an hour of sustained chanting and wandwork until the Animals changed back into people. To his great annoyance, the conversation came up suggesting that Severus should not participate given that his tiny brand new baby vocal cords could be permanently damaged from the overuse. He wasn't supposed to be talking as much as he was. This, coupled with the fact that the had no wand. This conversation went on for some time with them ignoring his quiet, "I'll be fines".

"Professor, I've been helping Poppy and we've talked about your progress. You are at a critical point- " Lovegood insisted. Four. Four Mothers. The Cat clearly agreed. Even Weasley was nodding.

Neville expressed his opinion on the matter.

"Luna's right, Sir and I'm sure it will work without you." This was the final because Severus knew that even in his diminished capacity, they needed all the power that they could get and in all likelihood, the spell would not work without his contribution. Even Hagrid and his umbrella were working this spell.

"I am quite proficient at silent, wandless magic!" He slammed his hand on the table as he had done the day before.

"I will use my hands and I will speak under my breath! My precious vocal cords will be just fine, Miss Lovegood!" It took quite a lot for him to say all of this and his point was made and the conversation was it an end.

**Curses and Charms**

Filch's rooms and the tower above had been completely destroyed during the battle, taking Fred Weasley, Remus and Nymphadora Tonks Lupin and several Death Eaters with it. The rebuilt rooms were larger, airier and brighter. Unfortunately, his collection of torture devices and student discipline records were lost.

Having been on cranky caretaker's bad side, Luna and Neville were apprehensive about approaching his door but Neville lifted his hand to knock. He paused at the sound of crashing pottery on the other side of the door and shouting but continued.

"Did you find a cure?" just Filch's head stuck out the door.

From behind you could hear yelling and yowling of Mrs. Norris,

"I won't go back! I won't go back. Never!"

"Yes, Mr. Filch!" Luna quickly answered.

"Will it change 'er back? She don't wanna go back."

"Umm ...I don't know, Sir. I don't think -" Neville started and Filch slammed the door in his face. The door opened again and Mrs. Norris pushed out past the humans. She looked to be about Professor McGonagall's age or something like that to the teenagers. She may have been lovely at one time but now she was tattered and worn. Her bright blue eyes were ringed with dark circles and her mouth seem to have a permanent pout. Her long grey brown hair was in a matted plait that reached all the way to the ground and her brown grey robes had been fine, but now were worn. She wore no shoes.

" ...I don't even care if he's dead. I'd rather be dead than that cat!" Luna reached out for her but she started down the hallway, the rest following.

"So ..um ..He ..Volde.. Riddle.. it's a sustained curse, is it?" Neville asked Filch, Luna having run ahead to catch up. Casually conversing with Filch about magic rivaled collaborating with Snape in his weird day.

"Yup. Something. They told me, Dumbledore an 'em, that she'd be safe as a cat."

"Well .. I mean, he's dead, you know? A curse would-"

Filch cut him off,

"She'll die if she's in her own form! That's what they told me. A little vague on the details. Y' know?" The women started down the stairs.

Neville knew a lot about Tom Riddle. Hermione and Ron had come to hospital and explained it all. The general public didn't know about the Horcruxes, of course, but Neville did and Neville knew that Voldemort was dead. And he had become somewhat of an expert on transfiguration spells over the last few months and a sustained curse just didn't make sense.

Mrs. Norris's voice echoed back to them.

"They stuck me like this. They said I'd be safe. That redhead. That Lily! She changed me and then she died and left me!"

"Lily Potter?" Luna's voice floated up to them.

They had lied to him. They. Dumbledore and them, even Bess had told him she was cursed by You Know Who. They told him she would die if she didn't stay a cat. That she'd be cursed or charmed or something if she changed back to a human. What he did know is that someone had put her in danger and now she needed to hide as the cat. As long as she stayed a cat, she'd be safe. He hadn't known about the prophecy, of course. He wouldn't have expected to know that kind of thing. He'd put some things together from the newspapers after the truth had come out. Now he didn't know what to think, but he might get to keep his wife. As the men caught up, they all found themselves in a large cavern, deep in the dungeons far below even Snape's classroom.

"Bess, why'd ya bring us here?" Filch asked quietly. He didn't even come down here..who knows what..

To everyone's surprise, Mrs. Norris laughed. A nice sound.

"It's full of rats, Argus. I come here to think." She sat down on the ground now, tired from walking on only two legs. Her back was killing her.

"My name is Bethesda Filch."

"No.." Filch breathed.

"Argus, it's over. He's dead." She reached her hand up to him.

"I'm Sybill Trelawney's sister. I was there. I heard the prophecy. In fact, I wrote it down. It was decided that we would be safest hidden here, disguised. I chose the cat to be closest to Argus, didn't I, Argus?" Filch had taken out a handkerchief and was dabbing his eyes as he nodded.

"Albus Dumbledore gave Argus a job and he came with two cats. Minerva changed Sybill and Lily changed me. They changed Sybil back after the Potters were killed…

"Minerva has tried countless times, countless spells over the years. Your spell won't turn me back?" She turned her large eyes on Neville.

Neville squatted down on the floor next to Mrs. Filch,

"It won't affect you. You are already a witch. My spell was made to turn people ..beings, whatever, into their true form. My spell was made for you."


	4. Casting

**Casting**

The Great Hall had been repaired and ready for use for some time but this tiny class didn't want to use it. This class of twenty seven with nine staff members felt at home in Tiny Hall. They knew that as soon as real school started again the Great Hall would become the Great Hall again and life would resume much as normal. The reverence of certain corners would be replaced with gossip and snogging..as they should be. For now, though, they chose Tiny Hall. However Tiny Hall would not fit all of the larger Animals comfortably, so it was decided to open the Great Hall for the spell. Filch fit a giant skeleton key into the lock which until recently had not been used for centuries. Naturally, he'd kept it oiled and ready and it turned easily with an echoing click. As they entered, the first thing they noticed was that the enchanted ceiling was just a normal ceiling. No. It was an extraordinarily carved, intricately beautiful ceiling but not enchanted. Noticing them all looking up Filch offered "They hain't turned it on yet, the Headmistress and the professors."

At which, they all turned to Snape. "Well, don't look at me. " he ground out.

Bethesda had come this far carrying her sister, the owl. Now she looked at the owl and said "I hope to see you soon, my sister. May we be the same species." The owl blinked her enormous eyes, whooted, took flight and landed on the headmistress's podium. Mr. and Mrs. Filch escaped to the Forbidden Forest.

The Animals were arranged in a circle with the largest in the middle and the smallest ones on chairs around the edge. For once no one avoided the Snake. The casters placed themselves around the outside of the circle and took several deep breaths together. Luna began the spell and the wand movements and after one round Neville joined his voice with her's. Hagrid joined next with his pink umbrella, his baritone booming through the room and Rolanda Hooch followed him. Ron began next and Severus followed with his hands and his raspy whisper. On the third round, their voices flowed together with precision. On the seventh round, their bodies and wand movements were perfectly in synch. By the eleventh round, clear blue swirled from the ends of their wands. By the thirteenth round, the color flowed around and through the casters and into the Animals. By the fifteenth round, some of the Animals were starting to twitch, skin starting to itch. On the seventeenth round, all the animals were compelled to ..sing, Dracos roar shaking the stones of The Castle. By the twentieth round the blue color had changed to a deep purple and gold light was flowing from the heads, hands, and feet of the casters, over and through all of the Animals. Luna's hair was moving around her like a Mer, as was Seamus's mane. On the twenty fourth round, Bethesda pulled Argus further into the forest, running from the prickling on her spine. By the twenty seventh round, Severus Snape thought he was going to die from the pounding in his head and wondered if they'd been right about his stamina. His voice had left him by the third round. At the completion of the twenty ninth round, all the Animals changed back into people and Severus Snape collapsed to the ground.

Everyone had been instructed not to break the circle even after the change. The spell had to be unwound the same way it had been started and Severus was able to finish his round before collapsing. Ron finished and doubled over panting, his eyes locked with Hermione's. The golden light receded a bit. Ro finished her round, dabbing her sweaty brow and smiling at her wife, restored and human again, wearing many layers of lace and silk. Hagrid's spell finished. The air all around the company was the pure clear blue purple gold. Neville's song, for it was a song, finished off his round and his movements leaving Luna's perfect high soprano like crystal, the last note hanging in the air. The blue purple gold light which still swirled around them all gave one last pulse and the ceiling became enchanted once again.

With the pandemonium that broke out as the last note ended Neville was not able to get to Severus as quickly as he would've liked. He crossed the room being hugged, kissed and high-fived all the way. Even the ghosts had come out from wherever they had been hiding to give their congratulations. When he got through the crowd he was relieved to see the Professor sitting up and Hermione and Ron already there with him. As he approached, Severus was both waving them all away with his hand and holding onto Ron, using him to pull himself up. Draco came out of the crowd and reached his other side, helping pull him to his feet. Draco and Ron stood eye to eye, each on the other side of Snape.

Draco was at the school at the express invitation and under the watchful eye of the headmistress herself. Headmistress McGonagall had convinced the Wizengamot and the Board of Governors after Severus had convinced her, that the young man had lived his life under duress and deserved a second chance. Most marked Death Eaters had been sent straight to Dementor-free Azkaban. Draco knew an opportunity when he saw it and was a model student and citizen. He kept to himself, counseled the few other Slytherins to do the same, helped Snape and got his work done. This didn't mean that he did not still hate the Golden Sodding Trio. However, he was feeling a levity and two of them had just saved his arse ..again. This year had been all about swallowing his pride and so, "Weasley." he offered not unkindly, with a nod.

Most of the time Ron could get away with just ignoring Malfoy. Malfoy pretty much ignored him. However, Hermione had been going on about forgiveness. He was feeling sterling generous after all that magic and this little bit of civility would earn him mega points with his girlfriend tonight. He nodded, "Malfoy."

Severus allowed the two young men to help him back to Tiny Hall, Potter, and Granger in tow, the latter talking as fast as any human can talk. The Elves had prepared Tiny Hall for the return of the casters who they have been told, would be hungry. A large spread of food was against one wall. Depositing Snape on the transfigured sofa, Draco went to make him a plate and Ron retreated with his friends to the food.

Neville took the seat next to Severus. "Are you alright?"

"Yes.. will be." He patted Neville's hand.

He knew why he had done it, touched another human being voluntarily. Longbottom, even. It was the spell. It was the intensity of such magic, such great power, shared. It made them all _High_. All of them would be affected to some degree, but the Animals, now people again would only feel a fraction of the energy the casters would. It wouldn't last and yet he enjoyed the Zing. He felt..giddy. Luna and Draco joined them with plates. Luna sitting on the floor at Snape's feet and Draco claiming a chair facing the couch. Draco began to eat but noticed the other three just sat and stared at each other, an occasional faraway grin on any one of their faces, even Snape's!.. before Neville handed Snape a cup of tea. Draco was starting to feel more out of place than usual. Lovegood always made him uneasy. She had more to hate him for than most and yet she acted as if he hadn't actively kept her a prisoner in his home for months. She treated him like anyone else. Now she said,

"Your auras are so beautiful."

Making them all share a Gryffindor Tower was all well and fine for the rest of the houses, but he and his four Slytherins were not made welcome. They had been cornered once by some drunk Hufflepuffs and about to have to protect themselves- likely getting Draco expelled and sent to Azkaban- when Longbottom came to their rescue, simply telling the gits to move along and they did because he was Longbottom. Clearly the forgiving type, he thought now as he watched him fussing over his childhood tormentor. Everybody knew about Longbottom and Snape's history. Draco had watched it..participated in it, he reminded himself with its usual broil to his stomach. He set his plate aside.

He could feel the energy in the air as well as anyone could, but even so, these three seemed Extra Charged. When he thought he couldn't stand it anymore McGonagall, Sprout and Hooch came bursting into the room all yelling concern at Snape.

He looked up at the three elderly women who he had grown up with. McGonagall, who he had never trusted but in the end had come to be the champion of both he and his godfather, she looked as in control of the situation as ever, as if she had not just spent the last two days as a fucking cat. Maybe she was used to it, but Draco had some processing to do in the future. He'd add it to his list. The oldest of them, Sprout was dressed like some kind of wood nymph or something. He had suspected since catching them in a greenhouse together in his second year that herbology and flying went together after all. And Hooch, the youngest but still older than his mother by years looked like she could be lead for the Weird Sisters.

"Severus?" Minerva came to him.

"I saw you hit your head. Let me have a look!" Rolanda Hooch as flying instructor also knew basic healing and came around the back of the couch and seized his head in her hands just as a Quidditch player might, running over his head with her wand. Seven mothers.

"Ro! Do be careful with him!" her wife scolded. Eight.

"You seem to be alright. Do you feel alright?" Hooch confirmed.

"Yes. I would have said so had you asked." He returned.

Hagrid came in and told them all that the had found the Filches and they were fine. He also was affected by the general feeling of goodwill and came around and clapped Severus on the back in his not so gentle way. He was going to 'sort out' his barns. Draco took this opportunity to leave

"I'm going to find Astoria. I'll check on you again tonight." Nine. Mothers.

"Tomorrow," he croaked back.

Minerva took The Trio and the other professors back to the party being held in the Great Hall where they could keep an eye on them all until the effects of the spell had worn off.

It took very little for Luna and Neville to convince the over-tired Severus to allow them to take him to his rooms. And though he drew the line at Lovegood actually crossing the threshold of his bedchamber, after she left he allowed Neville to help him to bed.

Neville knocked for Lex(smiling when it worked for him) and made sure that the Professor was set up for the night with all the potions that he would need. As he was leaving he told him he would see him in the morning.

"You needn't bother. It's only the spell. You're simply intoxicated, Longbottom. Drunk on magic. My magic, as I am drunk on yours "

"Haha! Are you saying this is a one-off? " He laughed and sobered when realizing what he'd said and who he'd said it to and laughed again at the roll of Snape's eyes. He w_as_ drunk. Did it matter, he wondered? He also knew from experience that battle had a way of making relationships.. intimate ..was the only word that came to mind. It healed wounds and they had just won a battle together. Maybe he was right. But he was drunk and he found he didn't care.

He chuckled "I guess we'll see tomorrow, Sir." and he left.

If Severus had taken longer than nine seconds to fall asleep, he may have noted that he had enjoyed solving puzzles with keen minds all day.


	5. Sticking Charms

**Sticking Spells**

Neville did come back. The next day and then most days, sometimes with Lovegood, sometimes without. Of course, she came on her own too. She brought him a slate and chalk and read to him from the Magizoology books she was studying. Granger started coming too, dragging Weasley and Potter to Snape's great discomfort. Soon though, just herself bearing snacks from Molly and Muggle scientific publications and complaining about the new NEWT Potions curriculum. Longbottom brought him plants and Herbalogy articles. Minerva and he talked about the running of the school. They discussed projects and plans. They all traded magazine articles and broke down each other's theories. The spell had set him back some and so they also All pestered him about taking his potions and Rest- Mother Hens, all of them. Once he was able, Poppy added ever lengthening walks into his healing regime.

Early on, Bethesda had taken Argus and Sybill away for good, to a cottage on the seashore that only the older sister had known about. All of Severus's well wishers, his new champions convinced him to move into the abandoned larger, airier and brighter rooms of the caretaker as he was to be out by start of term anyway. Out he would be too, as he had no intention of subjecting himself to Students.

Shortly after moving into his new hospital,

"_why are you still here"_

Snape had written on the chalkboard.

"What do you mean, Sir? We're only halfway through the article." then more sheepishly, "We're working on your voice lessons." The question took Neville by surprise. He'd come back about every day. Soon Madam Pomfrey had all his visitors on board with making him talk a little. He'd put up a fight at first, but after Neville started working it around _Herbalist and Herbology _articles it seemed to be ok. He didn't know what he was on about now.

Professor Snape had been right. The camaraderie of the magic had largely worn off within a few days but Neville found that he didn't mind coming and checking on the Professor and in fact he kind of enjoyed it, once they started talking about plants instead of arguing about Snape's health.

Severus had expected all the teenagers to disappear, but so far they had not. Lovegood, he expected. She was the first to admit Pomfrey was making them encourage him to talk. Apparently, yelling at them to bugger off didn't count. Lovegood was also the first talk about the war, the past. She thanked him for taking care of her at the Malfoys. He could have wept, but she followed up with ice cream.

Now, he had to talk to Neville Longbottom.

"I don't understand why you are still here. Helping me. You no longer need to suck up. Your school has been restored." Neville started to interrupt but he stopped him. His voice went in and out. Gravelly and smooth in turn. He was currently only allowed ten words at a time. " You should hate me, Neville." That was smooth and clear enough, though.

"Yeah.. I know. I should. I did." He acknowledged it with a frank nod at Snape." but I don't know. I think I'm done with hate. It costs too much. Besides, your um ..ok.. when your not yelling. . .I enjoyed your notes on the Venomous Tentacula."

Snape shook his head, "Well, I offer an apology. I don't deserve it, though you seem determined to thrust forgiveness upon me anyway."

And That was That.

By July, Severus was much improved, making potions for Poppy and able to leave the castle at will and he had taken himself to Hogsmeade for herbs that Longbottom didn't grow ...yet. The papers have been infuriatingly romantic about him and his story and Luna had warned him that he had _Groupies_ and then he knew there were still those who would rather he was dead, so he wore a glamour whenever he left school grounds. On this day, the shop was shut.

"_For Sale- Apothecary/ Workshop with flat._

_Inquire within_"

The original shop owner had died before the battle of Hogwarts and several incompetents had since tried their hand here and he didn't even know this batch. Neville told him they'd run out of the specialty items long ago. Now closed. On the way back to the castle he couldn't help but think of it.

Workshop with a flat. A Workshop. With a Flat.

And A Shop.

A Workshop.

Was this really something he'd want, though? All these people, all the time? He was leaving. Running a shop? -rather be dead. "_Workshop means Potions Lab" _a little voice whispered in his ear. There were so many things he wanted to work on.

Snape never planned on staying on this island and certainly not in Scotland, definitely not in Hogsmeade. He planned on getting as far away from here as possible. As soon as possible. As soon as he'd gotten Draco settled and pointed in the right direction, as soon as he had his health back he had planned on leaving. But now, now he ..didn't know.

He had had a false friendship with Minerva before, in so much as a spy can be a friend and any of that was shattered when he killed Albus. He'd done his job well and couldn't fault her for believing he killed the Wizard and betrayed them all. Nevertheless, he was grateful for her care of him and their reinvigorated friendship. Same with Filius, now that he could, he'd let himself like the man. In the few months since the spell, he could call Longbottom, Lovegood and damn his eyes, Granger...what could he call them but.. friends. As much as it pained him to think it.. they were still teenagers, people he generally hated.

Not that it was all wonderful. They'd frustrated him to tears with their petty dramas. Not to mention the constant nagging about his health, his condition, his _healing. _He had tried to chase them away a hundred times with his wicked tongue and his distrustful nature, but they would always come back. They seemed to care for him, foul temper and all and he found he desired their company, cared for them..petty, silly little dramas and all -love triangles and how to quit smoking or stop eating meat- so fresh compared to how to kill the evil lord and looking over one's shoulder for death.

It wasn't as if Severus had never had friends; he had. Lily, obviously. The Malfoy's had been friends. Good friends, in their way. Bad for him, but good friends in their way, and again, Spy. He had gotten Draco out of that friendship. That was a 'pro' to staying in Hogsmeade if one were to make a 'pro' and 'con' list. Draco was his own man and would take care of himself after leaving school..far from Hogsmeade, but that didn't mean Snape didn't want to be available if he required him. Or even just to spend time with him. He really could Floo from anywhere, couldn't he?

Con's

One-People- All. The. Time.

Two-People(again) trying to kill him when he finally dropped the bloody glamour.

Three -Actually running a shop..? - He'd find someone.

Pro's

One- Draco. He really was his family.

Two-Friendship... it baffled him to think it.

Three -The Potions Lab that he was already building in his head.

It felt like a life. Like he was choosing a life. It sounded like he could have family, companionship, and a job, a purpose- one that did not involve him killing or getting killed. He didn't deserve any of these things, but he turned around and walked back to the shop anyway.

Packing boxes, Severus Snape looked up to see Luna walk through the door.

"I have good news!" she announced.

"You got the apprenticeship."

"Yes!"

"And..is he teaching?"

"No, he retired last year. BUT! he and his grandson run clinics and I will work in those." They referred to the famous Scamanders.

"Congratulations, Miss Lovegood. Well deserved."

Neville arrived soon after Luna left, with packages of herbs and tea for Snape. After gossiping like old Witches about Ro and Pea deciding to finally join rooms together and push all subterfuge aside, the subject of Luna came up.

"So you talked to Luna, I guess?" Neville asked as he packed up books.

"Yes." Talking about personal matters had never been one of Severus's strong points but it was easier when the broken heart was not your own ..he was a Head of House after all. Counseling had been part of his job and these are his friends.

He tried, "She'll be gone a long time. Will you wait for her? "

"Wait? Oh no! Professor. We're just.. you know.. no.. we used to, you know. Uh, but. Yeah. no." He was as tongue-tied is the day we had run into Snape's private courtyard.

"Actually, I've been dating Hannah Abbott. I bring her around a lot.. haven't you noticed?" Neville laughed.

Now that he thought about it, he had noticed and he realized he rarely saw Neville without Miss Abbot. He made a non-committal grunt.

"She's going to work for Rosmerta after graduation. Right down the street from you." Neville added.

"I know where The Three Broomsticks is in relation to my shop." Snape sniped back.

It had now been a year and a half since Severus had died and been reborn in the Shrieking Shack. His strength and his voice had returned to almost one hundred percent. He had become very good with no wand and both hands. He was pretty sure the new Runes teacher was flirting with him -Luna seemed to agree and she knew everything about everyone. He was having a pretty good life, despite himself. "Do you suppose Miss Abbott wants to unpack books and eat pizza with us?"

"Yes, Sir. I think she would." Neville answered with a smile in his voice.

Severus looked up from the box and took a deep breath. He'd made a decision and it was as daunting as any Dark Lord.

"Neville?" he'd been calling him that for some time. He looked up and it was just Neville's kind eyes.

"You can call me Severus ..if you want."

Neville nodded,

"Oh. Yeah. Ok. Severus. ..not bad. Severus. Kind of rolls right off the tongue, eh?" He smiled into the box of books. Snape rolled his eyes that he'd been nervous at all.

They finished up the boxes and shrunk a lifetime of Severus Snape into a standard Hogwarts school trunk.

Luna and Hermione were cleaning with the 'help' of Draco when they got to the new shop and soon Hannah, Astoria, Minerva, Filius, Pea, and Ro joined an already in full swing unpacking, pizza, and beer party. Potter and the three youngest Weasleys showed up late with Muggle champagne. Severus Snape's flat and life was suddenly and unexpectedly full, indeed.


End file.
